Bespak Embed Carbon and Nature into Supply Chain Decision Making

Bespak Case Study

Bespak^®, is a specialist global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) solely focused on the inhaled and nasal drug delivery industry.

Bespak provides a specialist, fully integrated service to support customers from early-stage feasibility, analytical and formulation, product development and clinical supply, through to commercial production. Bespak help its pharmaceutical partners ensure that inhaled and nasal drugs reach the patients who depend on them.

The company has taken a leadership role in the transition to more environmentally responsible inhaler technologies. This includes a commitment to moving towards low Global Warming Potential propellants. Bespak has partnered with Tunley Environmental, bringing together engineering expertise and environmental science to accelerate progress in this space.

Bespak's Challenges

Bespak recognised that many of its environmental impacts were likely to occur within its global supply chain, particularly through use of sold products & purchased goods and services (Scope 3, Category 1). While carbon emissions were a key focus, Bespak also sought to understand how procurement activities impact biodiversity, the second highest scope 3 emissions, accounting for over 20% Upstream carbon footprint.

Key challenges included:

• Limited visibility of supplier-specific carbon emissions
• The need to prioritise supplier engagement across a complex and resource-intensive supply chain
• Increasing expectations from regulators and customers to address both climate and nature risks The risk that carbon-only assessments could overlook significant biodiversity pressures and negative impacts associated with raw material extraction and land use.

This made it a strategic priority to move beyond isolated assessments and towards an integrated, evidence-based approach to supplier engagement which incorporates both carbon emissions and biodiversity impact

The Solution

Tunley Environmental conducted a Supply Chain Engagement Assessment: Carbon and Nature, using Bespak’s 2023 procurement data, applying a spend-based carbon methodology aligned with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, ISO 14064, and ISO 20400.

Crucially, the assessment integrated findings from Bespak’s Supply Chain Biodiversity Footprint (SCBF) to provide a dual view of environmental risk (both biodiversity and carbon emissions) across suppliers. This allowed carbon emissions data to be assessed alongside biodiversity pressure pathways such as land use change, resource extraction, and pollution.

Key steps included:

• Quantifying upstream Scope 3 emissions and ranking suppliers to identify carbon hotspots
• Overlaying carbon results with biodiversity results to identify suppliers exerting high combined climate and biodiversity impact
• Distinguishing between suppliers with high carbon impacts and those with disproportionate biodiversity impact
• Using these insights to prioritise supplier engagement and identify opportunities for targeted intervention

This integrated approach enabled Bespak to focus engagement efforts where they would deliver the greatest combined benefit for both climate and nature. Tunley supported this by facilitating a capacity-building workshop in September 2025 for Bespak suppliers with the highest climate and nature footprints.

The Outcome

Quantitative impact:

• Identified a small group of priority suppliers responsible for approximately 38% of upstream carbon emissions
• Highlighted materials and categories (including chemicals, packaging, and natural ingredients) with the highest combined carbon and biodiversity impacts
• Demonstrated that supplier-specific data can significantly improve emissions accuracy compared to industry-average estimates

Qualitative impact:

• Provided Bespak with a clearer, more holistic understanding of supply chain environmental risk

• Enabled targeted supplier engagement informed by both carbon and biodiversity performance. Demonstrating the added value of supplier-specific data through deeper engagement with selected suppliers

• Reduced the risk of unintended trade-offs between climate action and nature outcomes
• Strengthened alignment with emerging frameworks including Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN)
• Positioned Bespak to move from measurement towards collaborative action with suppliers

Key Learnings and Insights

• Integrating biodiversity data alongside carbon metrics reveals risks that would otherwise remain hidden, particularly in material sourcing and land-use intensive supply chains.
• Hotspot-led supplier engagement enables more efficient use of time and resources, focusing action where it can deliver the greatest climate and nature benefits.
• Translating assessment insights into supplier capacity building through a targeted engagement workshop accelerated progress towards a Sustainability Supply Chain Charter, providing a framework for strengthening communication, data sharing, and collaborative action between Bespak and its suppliers.

 This project gave us a far clearer view of where our supply chain impacts truly lie. By assessing biodiversity alongside carbon, we moved beyond high-level estimates and were able to focus our engagement where it matters most. It has enabled a more informed, practical approach to working with suppliers on both climate and nature, while remaining aligned with evolving regulatory and reporting requirements.

Lisa Morton, Head of Procurement | Bespak